Robert walker smith



(No Mod-e1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

PMW. SMITH. 8 STEERING LOCK FOR SAFETY BICYGLES;v

N0. 588,665. Patented Aug, 24, 1897.

(No Model.) f ZSheets-Sheet 2. R. W. SMITH.

STEERING LooKPoB. SAPETY-EIQILES. NO. 588,665.- PatGI'i-xted Allg. 211,189'7l Tn: uonms PETER; co. PHOTO-ums. wur-Immun. Dv c.

UNITED STATEs PATENT- Omucn.

ROBERT VALIIER SMITH, OF ASTWOOD BANK, ENGLAND.

STEERING-LOCK FOR SAFETY-BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming bart of Letters Patent No. 588,665, dated August 24,1897. Application iiled November 24,1896. Serial No. 613,342. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t mm1) concern' Y Britain and Ireland, residing at Astwood Bank, in the county of Worcester, England,'

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Steering- Locks for Safety-Bicycles and other Front- Steering Velocipedes, 'of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention has reference to what are known as friction steering-lockswhich are used on safety-bicycles and other frontsteering velocipedes tolocl; the steering-pillar in the steering-headvof the machine with the steering-wheel in a line or at any desired angle to the back wheel, so that when thus locked the safety-bicycle can readily be supported leaning against a wall or other support.

My invention consists of an improved construction of the said friction band or lock and method of applying the same whereby it can very readily be applied to any make of frontsteering cycle without the necessity of a special top lug or bottom lug for the cycle-head and there is no tendency to strain the steering-pillar from its true central position in the steering-head of. the machine, which is a serious defect in most of the band steeringlocks heretofore employed.

I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings, on Which- Figure lis a side elevation ofthe steering-pillar and front fork of a-safety-bicycle or other front-steering velocipedewith my improved steering-lock applied to the upper part of the same. Fig. 2' isa side elevation of the same,

on an enlarged scale, without the front fork.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan through line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. Y 4 is a side elevation of the upper part of the steering-head shown in Figs. l and 2, but withthe steering-lock removed. Fig. 5 is aplan, and Fig. 6 is a front elevation andpart section, of the steering-head and steering-pillar with my improved steering-lock applied tothe lower part of the same 5 and Fig. 8 shows the lower part of the steering-head and the upper part of the front-fork crown of Fig. 7 with the steeringlock removed.

The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.'

illustrated by Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, I arrange for the band-clipAto encircle the steering-pillar B where'the top lug O of the cyclehead meets the upper collar D of the ballhead which is fixed on the steering-pillar B, and the edges c d of, those parts are turned so as to form a V or other groove (see Fig. 4) V yfor the friction-band A to lie' in,` so that the said friction-band when tightened up grips both the upper edge c of the top lug C and the lower edge d' of the ball-head collar D, 'and thus prevents the steering-pillar (to which the ball-head collar D is xed) from turning round. The-steering-band A (shown separately by Figs. 5 and 6) is by preference made of a half-round section, the rounded side tting in the groove between the edges d o'. One end of the friction-band clip A has formed with it or fixed to it an eye E, through In one arrangement of my invention, as

which the screw-threaded end a of the bandclip A passes, this end a having the milled nut F screwed on it for tightening up the band. The front boss part f of the nut F is by preference reduced so as to t in the eye E. In order to prevent the band A from turning with the steering-pillar, the eye part E of the band ts and engages in the recess C2, -which I form in the top lug C of' the steeringhead.

When the clip friction-band A is tightened up, as above described, it tightens equally on the top lug` C (which," as aforesaid, forms a part of the cycle-frame) and on the ball-head collar D, which turns with the steering-tube B and has no tendency to strain the steeringtube B out of its central position in the ballhead C, as the tightening up of the collar A imparts a slight upward movement to the steering-tube Bin the direction of its axis, tightening the fork-crown G (which is iiXed to the bottom of the steering-,tube B) against the ball-bearing in the bottomlug II of `the machine-frame.

Instead of my improved friction-band clip A being applied to the top lug C of the machine-head,as above described, and illustrated by Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, I may, as shown by Figs. 7 and 8, similarly'apply my improved ICO friction clip-band to act upon the lower edge 77, of the bottom lug II and on the upper edge g l of the fork-head collar or crown G, the edges 71, g of the parts I-I and G, which are clipped by the friction-band A, being by preference chamfered or coned, as shown in Fig. 8, for the friction-band A to grip and bear against. The bottom lug H has also a recess h2 formed in it, in which the eye part E of the friction clip-band A engages and tits to pre.- vent the friction-band A from turning with the steering-tube B.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination, the fixed head of a bicycle, the steering-pillar passing through the same to turn therein, and to have a slight longitudinal movement, said pillar having an upper and a lower boss or collar adjacent to the ends of the iiXed head, the parts at one end of the fixed head having a groove between them and a wedgin g clamp band or ring itted to said groove, to bear on the adjacent edges of the parts, with means for tightening the same and moving the pillar longitudinally to make its boss or collar bear on the opposite end of the fixed head, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the steering-pillar and fixed steering-head of a safety-bicycle or other front-steering velocipede, which pillar is adapted to have slight longitudinal movement in the steering-head, of a separate gripping-band which encircles and tits in a groove formed between the lower edge of the upper collar of the steering-pillar and the upper edge of the fixed steering-head, the said grippingband having a wedgin g contact and an eye at one end through which the other screw-th readed end of the band passes this screw-threaded end having a nut by turning which the band can be caused to grip the'collar of the steering-pillar and the steering-head thereby imparting a longitudinal thrust on the steeringpillar and locking the same in the steeringhead substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. In combination, the iixed steering-head, the steering-pillar passing through the same to have a rotary and slight longitudinal movement therein, the bosses or collars on the pillar adjacent to the ends of the steering-head, a clamping-band passing around the joint between the end of the fixed head and the boss on the steering-pillar, the eye part of said band and the recess in one edge of the joint receiving the same to hold the band against circumferential displacement, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the iixed steering-head, having one end beveled, the steering-pillar having a collar with a beveled edge adjacent to the beveled edge of the fixed head and a clamping-band of substantially wedge shape in cross-section with means for tightening it, said band bearing on the beveled edges to give the steering-pillar a longitudinal thrust, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT WALKER SMITH.

Witnesses:

CHARLES BoswoRTH KETLEY, HERBERT WHITEHoUsE. 

